The Journalist is a 1979 Australian sex comedy about the romantic adventures of a journalist (Jack Thompson). It has the reputation as one of the worst Australian films of all time.[3]
| The Journalist | |
|---|---|
 Film poster | |
| Directed by | Michael Thornhill |
| Written by | Michael Thornhill Edna Wilson |
| Produced by | Pom Oliver |
| Starring | Jack Thompson Sam Neill |
| Cinematography | Don McAlpine |
| Edited by | Tim Welburn Ron Williams |
Production companies | FJ Promoters NSW Film Corporation |
| Distributed by | Roadshow |
Release date |
|
Running time | 83 minutes |
| Country | Australia |
| Language | English |
| Budget | AU$400,000[1] |
| Box office | AU $52,000 (Australia)[2] |
Plot
Journalist Simon Morris has trouble with his love life. He is separated from his wife Wendy and daughter Suzie and lives with his girlfriend Liz.
Production
Money came from Roadshow, who wanted Jack Thompson to play the lead, and the New South Wales Film Corporation. The shoot started January 1979 and went for four weeks.[3]
Reception
The film was very poorly received critically and commercially. Thornhill:
The Journalist was a misfire completely and I think it was my fault entirely. We should never have had Jack Thompson. He was just miscast. He's not a comedian. He's a serious, solid actor. We should have had Sam Neill in the lead role and you would have had a debonair roue - it was meant to be a debonair roue. It was meant to be a piece of fluff, a piece of effervescent fluff that came out feeling like lard.[4]
Robert Macklin wrote a novelisation of the script for $5,000.[5]
References
- ^ Keith Connor, "The Journalist", Australian Film 1978-92, Oxford Uni Press 1993 p34
- ^ "Australian Films at the Australian Box Office", Film Victoria. Retrieved 24 October 2012
- ^ a b David Stratton, The Last New Wave, Angus and Robertson, 1979 p 92-95
- ^ Interview with Michael Thornhill, Signist, 2 November 1998. Retrieved 14 October 2012
- ^ "Damned if you win, damned if you don't". The Canberra Times. Vol. 71, no. 22, 080. Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 30 September 1995. p. 44. Retrieved 3 September 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
External links
- The Journalist is available for free viewing and download at the Internet Archive
- The Journalist at Oz Movies
- The Journalist at IMDb
- The Journalist at National Film and Sound Archive
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